Essex FM

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Essex FM

Broadcast area	Essex
First air date	12 September 1981
Frequency	96.3 MHz, 102.6 MHz, 97.5 MHz
Format	Contemporary
Owner	GCap Media
Website	www.essexfm.co.uk

Essex FM is a British radio station that broadcasts from Chelmsford, Essex. It was originally launched as Essex Radio on September 12, 1981. Since then it has been known around the area for its informative and up-to-date content of music and chat. The Essex Radio Group owned and indeed launched several nearby stations, including Ten-17 FM in Harlow in 1993, oldies station Breeze (now Classic Gold Essex) in July 1989, and dance station Vibe_FM_105-108 in 1997. Essex FM became part of the GWR Group (now Gcap_Media) in October 2000 from the Daily Mail and General Trust (who bought the Essex Radio Group in 1998).

Famous presenters on Essex Radio in the 80s and 90s include Graham Bannerman, Jon Scragg, Tim Lloyd (Timbo), Keith Rogers, Dave Gregory, John Leech, Peter Holmes, Dave Gilbee, Terry Davis, Caesar the Boogeyman and many others.

On October 27, 2004, the station moved from Southend-on-Sea to Chelmsford. The 102.6FM signal comes from Baker's Wood to the west of Chelmsford, 96.3FM comes from Benfleet, and 97.5FM comes from Maitland House in central Southend-on-Sea.

Martin Day is the station's most well-known and longest serving presenter (since 1995), who since 1996 has presented the station's 5-10am breakfast show with Su Harrison (his sidekick since 2000). He can also be heard on Sunday's Best 80s Show In The World Ever! between 9am-12pm. Martin began his broadcasting career on LWR thanks to his friend Simon Lee, since then he has been arrested as a pirate DJ on Radio Jackie and had stints at Chiltern Radio and on KIMN in Greely Northern Colorado. Martin was regularly the subject of national attention in 1998 after a BBC1 weekly series called Lakesiders (looking at life in and around the shopping centre), partially focused on life for Martin at Essex FM and away from the mic.

As well as Martin Day, the stations presenters include of Su Harrison, Chris Skinner, Angela Johnson, James Bassam, Dominic Atkins, Alex Williamson, Wyatt Wendels, Jay-Louise Knight, Pete Chapman, and Tim Murphy.

In a somewhat unexpected move, the station announced in late May that it will discontinue to play hit singles by James Blunt although Blunt is found regularly in the radio airplay chartlist. This was thought of as a PR stunt, to help promote the station more, due to the lack of high audience share.

Towards the end of 2006, Essex FM started broadcasting newly sung radio jingles. These were made my Reelworld Productions in New York, and are very similar to those of Hallam FM.

In March 2007, drivetime presenter James Bassam left Essex FM after 12 years to join Capital Radio in London to do the Early Breakfast. His farewell show was broadcast live from Chicago Rock Cafe in Chelmsford with the entire on-air team joining him to send him off. James was best known for getting a public on-air ticking off from Victoria Beckham in 1999 for insulting her husband David's new haircut and its implications for his deal with Brylcream. Victoria happened to be listening that Sunday morning and called James up to vent her fury at the presenter.